Guide on Product Configurator for Your Website

1
ECOMMERCE PRODUCT CONFIGURATOR A COMPLETE GUIDE
Have you ever purchased something online that
didnt live up to the photographs on its product
catalog? The exact terminology for this is called
buyers remorse. It is something that everyone
as a consumer wants to avoid. This buyers
remorse certainly contributes to the fact that
buyers in America end up buying only 58 of the
items present in their online shopping carts
each year. If you are a brand and your buyers
face the same issue with your product, you are
certainly in trouble. A customer may never
return to your store if theyre unsure about the
look and feel of the products you sell. How do
you make them click the order button in such a
scenario? Customers need to feel confident about
whatever they order. They should feel confident
about the fact that their order will match the
shipment they receive. You can easily maintain
the look and feel of non-customizable products.
But, for products with customization, it gets a
little trickier. Hence the concept of ecommerce
product configurator came into existence. A
visual product configurator is a powerful selling
tool, essentially for customizable
products. What is a Product Configurator? A
product configurator is a design tool that allows
users to customize the products of their choice
based on available configuration options. An
ecommerce product configurator is an interactive
and engaging tool. Most businesses offer
configurations in color, print, text, images,
textures, and more. For example, if youre
selling a T-shirt online, you can display a
visual configuration. Shoppers could try out the
designs and see what it would look like if they
swapped different components such as, size,
design, color, etc. In a few simple clicks,
theyll know exactly what their customized
product will look like before they purchase
it. Product Configurators Need Vs.
Capabilities Due to the growing popularity of
product personalization, many companies have
started offering product configurations. The key
necessities of these configurators cant be
realized until brainstormed completely. Still,
they cover a whole set of applications with
different objectives and target audiences.
www.brushyourideas.com
2
The common purpose of configurators is the
personalization of consumer goods. But, product
personalization of consumer goods is only the
visible part of a much bigger iceberg. Configurato
rs are capable of serving various other
stakeholders of a product too. Designers,
engineers, operators, sales representatives and
so on are on constant lookout for a navigation
tool that centralizes the product options and
constraints. A product configurator is a
powerful tool for communication with stakeholders
with certain expertise. It is an ideal platform
to implement a mass customization strategy. Hence
it is necessary to have a crucial understanding
of the type and complexity of the product first.
The conception and implementation phase of the
configurator comes way after the basic product
understanding.
Why use Product Configurator? A study states
that 57 of consumers will stop buying from a
company, if a competitor provides them a better
experience. In another study, 82 customers
believe that ecommerce companies have a
responsibility to reduce returns. In fact, 76
say they would return items less often if online
retailers provide them with more accurate and
clear images and product descriptions. Hence
creating a positive customer experience is vital
to the long-term success of companies. This
means reducing friction, acknowledging the
challenges, and delivering exactly what the
customers expect. Following are a few ways that
product configurators benefit ecommerce
companies, and why everyone must consider the
product configurator option
www.brushyourideas.com
3

• It leads to an increased digital footprint on
  your ecommerce stores and improves engagement
• The customers who visit your store are more
  likely to make a purchase hence resulting in
  higher conversion rates
• Customers are less likely to return products if
  they can clearly see, and visualize the
  offerings. Hence, lesser return rates
• Customers can render images of every component
  and not just the assembled product.
• It provides design flexibility and scalability.
• Products displayed using Augmented Reality are
  more likely to attract a large number of
  millennials as well as Gen-Zs.
• Lets have a look at different types of product
  configurators.

• Types of Product Configurator
• Before we move on to product configurators heres
  a quick brief about the three types of
  configurations possible.
• Personalization
• Personalization refers to the process of adding
  text, number, message etc. to an already
  designed product. Personalization gives a unique
  identity to consumers.
• Customization
• Customization allows users to create a new design
  from a template using various designing features
  such as colors, text, prints, images, logos, and
  so on.
• Parametric Configuration
• Parametric configuration means the users can
  change any design parameter flexibly. They can
  change design parameters such as product width,
  height and so on.
• Product configurators are of various types based
  on dimensions, industry, target audience and so
  on. Heres a detailed overview of these
  classifications
• Based on Dimensions

www.brushyourideas.com
4

• Interactive 3D
• 3D configurators are responsive and interactive
  as compared to the 2D ones. Buyers can rotate
  the products and get a 360-degree view of it.
  Along with this, they can change the
  customizable features just like a 2D
  configurator. Interactive 3D configurators are
  the best way to make sure that shoppers know
  exactly what theyre purchasing.
• Based on Industry
• Configurators are useful for both B2B and B2C
  businesses.
• B2B Configurators
• Primarily, sales representatives use
  configurators during the CPQ (Configure, Price,
  Quote) process. It provides the sales reps to
  provide quick and accurate quotes to clients.
  Some benefits of B2B configurators are
• Reduces the sales cycle time
• Minimizing human errors
• Provides an engaging experience
• Up-to-date product information
• Example Herman Miller
• Herman Miller is one of the most popular names in
  office and home furnishings. It is one of the
  top B2B sellers of premium furniture. They
  provide their customers with a way to preview
  their customizable office chairs before
  purchasing.

www.brushyourideas.com
5

• The main purpose of a marketing configurator is
  to get visibility on a complex product. It is
  useful for products that one cannot showcase in
  an attractive way using traditional methods.
• An ecommerce product configurator opens up a
  range of possibilities visually for
  consumers. However, it does not lead to a precise
  quote for any product. Marketing configurators
  help companies incite creativity within the
  audience. It gives a global view of a complex
  product in a simple, attractive, and visual
  manner.
• Example Tylko Parametric Shelves
• Commercial Product Configurators
• Commercial product configurators are usually a
  part of ecommerce websites. It generates
  detailed quotes for sales representatives to
  follow up.
• It mostly involves B2C products and can largely
  affect sales. Recently theres been an explosion
  of product configurators for commercial products.
  These products do not represent a complex
  category of products. It also helps optimize the
  supply chain beyond the sales process.
• Example Spreadshirt
• Technical Product Configurators
• Technical product configurators usually focus on
  the details. It gives a realistic visualization
  as compared to the other two configurators. The
  main goal of technical configurators is to cover
  the product variations in a detailed manner.
• Sales representatives and B2B environments
  generally use technical configurators. Technical
  product configurators help the sales reps target
  clients by providing them with technical
  expertise.

www.brushyourideas.com
6

• It also creates buzz for the companies by
  creating excitement and engagement for users. In
  todays ecommerce world, shoppers have many
  choices. Ecommerce product configurators are a
  great way to grab customers attention and
  increase conversion rates and grow sales.
• Here are seven reasons why ecommerce businesses
  should adopt a product configurator
• It increases engagement with your customers
• Research says customers are willing to pay more
  for customized products.
• Most customers expect a 3D configurator. 57 of
  consumers agree that they will stop buying from
  a brand if they have a better alternative.
• Its the perfect solution for your designers as
  well as sales reps.
• Over to You
• Nowadays, many companies claim to offer turn-key
  solutions that can tackle all the challenges by
  customization. However, it is essential to
  consider those claims with caution and
  rationalize your choices. If you want an
  ecommerce product configurator for your website,
  you need to go deep into the specifications to
  select the right tool.
• Make sure that the solutions you choose can
  continuously evolve in this ever-evolving
  market. Evaluate the technologys modularity and
  its ability to integrate an existing ecosystem
  without upsetting the ongoing one.
• Regardless of the adopted solution, one key
  factor needs to remain at the forefront.
  Implementing a successful mass customization
  strategy involves creating a flexible workflow
  and functioning of a product that can be engaged
  at any point of its product life cycle.
• We hope we were able to give you clarity about
  everything about an ecommerce product
  configurator. Now you know all the uses, types,
  and functions of a product configurator.

E-mail Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
Instagram
www.brushyourideas.com